You might say the week is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workweek, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Weekly Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past seven days — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Those of you using Skype in Windows 8 will be happy to know that Microsoft’s just bumped the app to version 1.6. It’s been a few months since the last update, and this revision brings more features to the table, including contact blocking and a slew of performance tweaks. You’re now able to block users, with an option to remove or report the offending party. Speed and reliability have been improved, especially when loading contacts, and a number of bugs have been fixed, including one where the outgoing video was not always displayed after switching cameras. The update’s available in Windows Store, so what are you waiting for?
Filed under: Microsoft
Source: Skype Blogs
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Though it’s not entirely difficult to go ahead and download the software for yourself from your friendly internet browser window, gaming environment Steam will be coming to the Razer Edge gaming tablet built-in, right out of the box. This is a significant move by both the folks at Razer and the members of Valve that’ve agreed to push their Steam app to the hardware right out of the box as it’s the first time said software will have done such a thing.
While the trend amongst those purists in the hardcore gaming community would otherwise have a fit over a so-called Gaming PC coming packed with “bloat ware”, it seems that Valve’s contribution won’t be so ill-fitting.
“The Razer Edge has more than enough power to play the latest and greatest Steam titles and it is completely built with PC gamers in mind. The tablet is a great way to experience everything Steam has to offer, including Big Picture mode.” – Greg Coomer, product designer at Valve
Big Picture mode is a full-screen user interface built in to Steam, available to all desktop app users right this minute – check it out if you haven’t already!
The Razer Edge and the Razer Edge Pro are both gaming tablets working with 10.1-inch displays and Windows 8 inside. You’ll be working with detachable gaming controllers as well as optional keyboard docks and will find yourself paying well over a thousand bucks to gain said privilege. Have a peek at our guide “Razer Edge gaming tablet: What the heck is it?” and see if it’ll be worth dropping either $1,300 or $1,450 USD depending on the options you’d like – go big!
[via The Slanted]
Steam to come pre-loaded on Razer Edge is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
If you were thinking about picking up a VIZIO notebook or PC in the near future – wait just a second! They’ve just released the full lineup in Full HD mode with touchscreen interactivity and Windows 8! Of course while some of their lineup had one or two of these features before, now you can rest easy – greatness is here for all!
You’ll be seeing several different lineups here, each of them delivering the sleek metal looks and attention to detail we were so impressed by when we first reviewed one of their PCs last year (that was right before they switched over to touch!) Now you’ll want to head down to the timeline below to see all the touchscreen action and up-close-and-personal looks and touches we’ve had with these devices at CES 2013 before we go on a review rampage – make it so!
24-inch All-in-One Touch The smaller of the two options here is the first available for pre-order in Microsoft’s online store. You’ll find that this model brings on the more conservative (just by a bit!) display size complete with dual HDMI input, enhanced 2.1 audio system with subwoofer, and wireless controls – you’ll get a remote control for your entertainment bits and pieces, a multi-gesture touchpad, and a keyboard, too! Have a peek at our early review of the pre-touch iteration of the 24-inch All-in-one now! This model will sell for USD $1,279.99.
27-inch All-in-One Touch The one big difference between the 24- and 27-inch models here is the size of the display. They’ve both got the same number of inputs and outputs and all that good stuff, same accessories in the box and the same massive HD 1080p touchscreen technology at your disposal. This 27-inch model will sell for USD $1,549.99.
14-inch HD+ Thin + Light Touch The smaller of the two new models we’ve got here has a 14-inch HD+ display and options for either AMD (A10 APU) or Intel (Core i7) processors. This model starts at USD $1,089.99.
15.6-inch Full HD Thin + Light Touch This is the top-of-the-line offering in laptop technology from VIZIO, bringing on Full HD on a 15.6-inch display also with the same quad-core processor options that the 14-inch model is available with: either AMD (A10 APU) or Intel (Core i7). You’ll also find this model available for pre-order now in Microsoft’s online store! This larger version will start at USD $1,189.99.
All VIZIO machines here work with advanced Wi-Fi with 802.11ac (that’s the newest generation able to offer up to three times faster delivery of data past 802.11n.) They’ve all got 10-finger touchscreen technology up front, SRS Premium Sound HD audio systems with no less than DTS technology making it all roll right, and Microsoft Signature for Windows. With Microsoft Signature you’ve got a clean install of Windows 8 – no bloat-ware at all!
Sound like the lineup for you? Let us know if you’re planning to go all the way with VIZIO this season!
We’ve now got the full list of prices as they’ll appear straight through the VIZIO online store immediately if not soon!
14” Touch Thin + Light (CT14T-B0) AMD A10 APU $1,089.99 MSRP
14” Touch Thin + Light (CT14T-B1) Intel Core i7 $1,419.99 MSRP
15.6” Touch Thin + Light (CT15T-B0) AMD A10 APU $1,189.99 MSRP
15.6” Touch Thin + Light (CT15T-B1) Intel Core i7 $1,469.99 MSRP
24” Touch All-in-One (CA24T-B0) AMD A10 APU $1,279.99 MSRP
24” Touch All-in-One (CA24T-B1) Intel Core i7 $1,439.99 MSRP
27” Touch All-in-One (CA27T-B1) Intel Core i7 $1,549.99 MSRP
14″ Touch Thin + Light (CT14T-B0) AMD A10 APU $1,089.99 MSRP
14″ Touch Thin + Light (CT14T-B1) Intel Core i7 $1,419.99 MSRP
15.6″ Touch Thin + Light (CT15T-B0) AMD A10 APU $1,189.99 MSRP
15.6″ Touch Thin + Light (CT15T-B1) Intel Core i7 $1,469.99 MSRP
24″ Touch All-in-One (CA24T-B0) AMD A10 APU $1,279.99 MSRP
24″ Touch All-in-One (CA24T-B1) Intel Core i7 $1,439.99 MSRP
27″ Touch All-in-One (CA27T-B1) Intel Core i7 $1,549.99 MSRP
VIZIO touch PCs and Notebooks grab Full HD and 2013 price list is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
A recent change in Microsoft’s hardware requirements for Windows 8 is creating a lot of speculation on what Microsoft has planned in the future. Previously, Windows 8 could only run on displays with a resolution of at least 1366×768. However, that requirement has been lowered to only 1024×768, which means that we could see smaller form factors of Windows tablets in the future.
Of course, Windows 8 has supported 1024×768 for a while now, but hardware requirements from Microsoft as far as tablets are concerned requires at least a widescreen 1366×768 resolution, which is rather odd, but Microsoft has quietly updated its tablet requirements with the new spec, meaning that smaller Windows tablets could be in our future.
This seems fairly obvious, though, as small form factors are rather popular as of now, with Google’s Nexus 7, Amazon’s Kindle Fire HD, and Apple’s iPad mini leading the charge in the 7- to 8-inch tablet race. As for when we might see smaller Windows tablets, it’s not entirely certain, but they could come during Microsoft’s BUILD developers conference in June.
If a 7- or 8-inch Windows tablet does, indeed, step into the limelight, it’ll be interesting to see if they catch on. Currently, Microsoft’s Surface RT and Surface Pro tablets haven’t been selling well, so if manufacturers get the price right with the smaller variants, they could squeeze their way in with the other Android and iOS offerings.
[via ZDNet]
Windows 8 hardware requirement update hints at 7-inch tablet is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
For those opting to “replace” instead of “clean” this spring, Vizio‘s got a bit of news for you — the outfit’s latest line of touch-friendly laptops and desktops now have firm pricing details to pore over. Starting with the portables, the 14-inch Touch Thin + Light (CT14T-B0) will ship soon with an AMD A10 APU and a base price of $1,089.99; the Core i7-equipped CT14T-B1, however, will start at $1,419.99. For those needing a bit more screen to stare at, the 15.6-inch versions of these guys will go for $1,189.99 (AMD A10) / $1,469.99 (Intel Core i7). Sliding over to desktops, the 24-inch Touch All-in-One (CA24T-B0) will ship momentarily for $1,279.99 with an AMD A10 APU, while the Core i7-infused CA24T-B1 will start at $1,439.99 and the 27-inch CA27T-B1 will get going at $1,549.99. As you’d expect, Windows 8 will find itself on home across the entire range, and those looking to buy in immediately can do so at the source links below.
Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Tablets
Source: Vizio, Microsoft Store
Microsoft did set some pretty stringent standards for those who want to churn out tablets that run on the Windows 8 operating system, and among one of those would be a screen resolution count of 1366 x 768 pixels. Of course, the lower the common denominator, the better since costs would be lowered as well, but this was not the case, at least not until a few days ago, where the leaked build of Windows Blue actually depicted that the minimum resolution has been lowered all the way down to 1,024 x 768, which should come across as a sigh of relief for some of the fledgling tablet manufacturers.
This particular change was announced on Microsoft’s Windows Certification Newsletter earlier this March, where Microsoft did state that they were not actually doing so to encourage PC OEMs to deliver a lower resolution for their Windows 8 tablet products, although the possibility is there, thereby admitting, “We understand that partners exploring designs for certain markets could find greater design flexibility helpful.” Assuming a Windows 8 tablet will feature a 1,024 x 786 resolution, the PC OEM maker has the responsibility of stating so to the consumer, and that such tablets are unable to support the snap view for Windows 8 Modern apps. Fair enough, don’t you think so?
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: iOS 7 Jailbreak May Already Be In The Works, Sony Xperia Tablet Z Seems To Have Been Delayed To May, 
If you have a PC with Windows 8 but miss Windows 7, there’s no need to downgrade. Following a few simple steps, you can make Microsoft’s current operating system look and feel almost identical to its predecessor. Here’s how to bring back the Start menu and the attractive aero glass theme how to hide other Windows 8 elements like the Charms menu. More »
According to a leaked build of the next-generation update to Windows 8 going by code-name “Windows Blue”, you’ll soon be able to sync not only some of your account information from computer to computer with your Microsoft account. What Within Windows describes here is a laundry list of elements you’ll be factoring in to your Microsoft account associations – everything from Bluetooth device recognition to Installed Apps. Soon you’ll be able to bring your account with you wherever you go, on whatever PC you happen to be logging in on!
With the rise of Cloud Computing we’ve seen more than a few businesses build their greatness on the idea that you should be able to access all of your digital bits and pieces from wherever you may be. With Windows Blue, you’ll be finding that not only your digital media and download approvals will be going with you, you’ll also have the ability to move from one PC to the next with your wireless accessories, too.
• Device Associations (including Bluetooth)
• Internet Explorer Tabs and Tracking Protection
• Picture Password
• File History
• Input Personalization
• Explorer Quick Links
• App Secondary Tiles
• Tethering
• Installed Apps
So say you’ve got a Bluetooth mouse that you love so very much, but you’re often switching from your home computer to your work computer, and your work computer is one that other people often use with their own login. With Windows Blue (the next big update for Windows 8), you’ll find that once you’ve logged in with your Microsoft account, you’ll be able to see your Bluetooth mouse right away – provided you’ve brought it with you.
Also revealed this week was the fact that Windows Blue will have your Microsoft account bringing your Start Screen panels in the same configuration you left them, again no matter what PC your working with. Sound like the cloud is bringing you with it yet?
Are you convinced by Windows Blue yet? Perhaps you’d like more information on this upcoming Windows 8 build? Have a peek at the timeline below for more details!
Windows Blue to bring cross-PC Bluetooth sync is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
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